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1930. NEW ZEALAND.

NEW ZEALAND NAVAL FORCES. REPORT OF THE COMMODORE COMMANDING THE NEW ZEALAND STATION, FOR THE PERIOD 1st APRIL, 1929, TO 31st MARCH, 1930.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency the Governor-General.

REPORT. The Hon. the Minister of Defence, Wellington. Sir, — H.M.S. " Dunedin," at Lyttelton, N.Z., 13th August, 1930. I have the honour to address to you the following report on the Naval Forces of the Dominion and the proceedings on the New Zealand Station during the year Ist April, 1929, to 31st March, 1930. I. State. The New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy is at present composed as follows : H.M.S. " Dunedin " (broad pendant of the Commodore Commanding the New Zealand Station), H.M.S. " Diomede " (at present in England undergoing large repairs), H.M.S. " Philomel " (non-seagoing depot-ship and training establishment at Devonport, Auckland), H.M. Trawler " Wakakura," R.F.A. " Nucula." H.M. Ships " Veronica " and " Laburnum " are also employed on the Station under the Commodore Commanding, but at the expense of the Imperial Government. 11. Personnel. Paymaster Commander John T. V. Webster, D.5.0., Royal Navy, relieved Paymaster Commander Evelyn N. R. Fletcher, M.8.E., Royal Navy, in July as Naval Secretary and Secretary to the Commodore Commanding. 2. On Monday, 9th September, I assumed the duties of Commodore Commanding the New Zealand Station and First Naval Member of the Naval Board in succession to Commodore George T. C. P. Swabey, D.5.0., Royal Navy. 3. H.M.S. " Diomede " being due to proceed to England for large repairs, a reorganization of ships' companies took place in September. Those Imperial officers and men whose loan engagements had expired, certain New Zealand ratings due for training, and others required to complete her complement returned to England in her. 4. On Ist November Commander Charles E. Hotham, D.S.C., Royal Navy, relieved Commander Frederick N. Attwood, Royal Navy, in command of H.M.S. " Laburnum." 5. On the concluding day of this report there were 380 ratings on the active list who had been recruited in New Zealand; 289 of these were serving in ships of the New Zealand Division on the Station, forty-five undergoing training in England, and forty-six serving in ships of the Imperial Navv in Home waters awaiting return of H.M.S. " Diomede " to New Zealand.

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